Creating Strength in Numbers to End Violence Against Women & Girls

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign falls every year between the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25th, and Human Rights Day on December 10th. It is a time to raise awareness and galvanize global support and action to end violence against women and girls around the world. At Together for Girls, we believe that in order to effectively prevent and respond to violence, we must first understand it –and it starts with the data.

Through the Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS), led by CDC in partnership with Together for Girls, we have collected data on violence for approximately 10% of the world’s youth population aged 13-24. VACS data gives us better insight into the magnitude of the problem, its consequences and risk factors. It provides reliable evidence on physical, sexual, and emotional violence experienced by boys and girls that has never been available before. The VACS have revolutionized the field in only 10 years, providing a critical foundation to drive our work.